Worker rescued after getting stuck in the mud at Kellingley Colliery

Firefighters from Pontefract, Selby and Tadcaster were called to the site, near Knottingley at around 10.20pm last night.

Crew manager at Pontefract Dave Bastow said the man, who was working on the site, had become stuck up to his chest in “coal sludge”.

He had used his radio to tell colleagues he was stuck and they had called the fire brigade.

Mr Bastow said: “It was the kind of sludge that you can suddenly find yourself sinking down in to and the more you struggle the deeper you go.”

Firefighters rescued the man and he was taken to hospital to be checked over.